James o neill



(No Model.)

' J..ONEILL. GREEL OR BOBBIN RAGK.

No. 254,441. Patentd Feb. 28,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ONEILL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. STEWART, OF SAME PLACE.

CREEL OR BOB BlN-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,441, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed July 9, 1881; (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES ONEILL, residingin the city of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Greels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line a m of Fig.

1; Fig. 3, enlarged detail of post, showing spindle-socket; Fig. 4, enlarged cross-section through spool and supporting-frame.

A is the base 5 B, the upright posts; 0, crosspieces; D, the bobbin; a, the spindle-socket; 0, spindle. I

The construction of my'invention is as fol lows: 'i

The upright posts B are for the purpose of holding the bobbins in place, and are firmly attached to and at right angles with the base A. These posts are arranged two together in rows, on parallel lines and at equal distances apart, diverging from the center on either side, and are held in position at the top by means of the cross-pieces O. The relative positions of the separate sets of posts one to the other are suchthat the outside post of each set occupies a position directly in front and about the center of the space between the set of posts directly behind it. However, in order that the bobbins may be more readily taken out and replaced, as hereinafter shown, the inner posts of the set immediately behind the front or first posts are covered by the outside posts of the front or first set of posts, thus leaving the bobbins clear.

In the rear of the posts and at-even distances are the sockets a. The spindles c are passed through thebobbincD, and the spindle,

with the bobbin upon it, is placed in the spin-. dle-socket a from the rear of the creel. The

front of the creel is the narrowest part. When the bobbins are placed in the creel, as above specified, they are in a position parallel with the loom, and the threads are fed straight into the loom.

Heretofore creels have been made with posts diverging from the center, but in single line, the bobbins being set by means of the spindle and socket, as in this case; but when set, instead of being parallel with the loom, they are at an angle, and the threads pass from the bobbins around the rods set directly in front and in the middle ofeach row of bobbins,which act as guides to direct the threads into their proper places in the loom. The bobbins running thus at an angle from the loom, the thread is drawn around the rod and into the loom with a lateral pull, and the thread, passing around the rod at such a sharp angle, is often broken. This lateral pull also forces the ends of the bobbins alternately, as the thread passes the center, against the sides of the upright posts, causing much friction, and the threads are constantly broken, at great loss of time and expense to the manufacturer. In these creels, commonly in use, the posts that support the bobbins being in single line on either side, as before mentioned, the bobbins, when set, are entirely exposed on lines running diagonally from the face of the loom, and the lines thus made from the front and center of the creel to the rear ends on either side are longer by about one-fou rth than the lines made by the arrangement of posts and bobbins in my improved creel, and in the old machine the width of the creel at the rear end, by reason of this extension of the sides, is greater than in my invention.

Oreels have also been constructed with bobbins running on lines parallel with the loom, so far as the first sets of bobbins are concerned, presenting very much the same appearance as shown by the drawings of my devices; but the same objection is met with in this construction as in the old creel just mentioned. The object in this arrangement of posts is not apparent, as the thread is still fed into the loom by being drawn around separate guide-posts at an acute angle, causing the friction and the binding of the bobbin-journals, that break the thread, and so far as it is possible to judge IOC there is no economy of space in such construc tion.

My creel is constructed with a view of practically obtaining beneficial results. From experience with these machines, which are herein described and claimed, it has been demonstrated that really valuable results are obtained inthe manufacture of cloths.

In weaving-mills a large number of creels and looms are constantly in use, andjust in proportion to the number of creels and looms on the floor is the capacity of the mill increased or lessened. It is therefore desirable to have each creel contain the requisite number of bobbins, at the same time taking as little room as possible; and to avoid friction it isimportant that the widest part of the creel be as nearly as practicable the width of the face of the loom. For these reasons the creel that holds the bobbins together in the most compact manner, and that feeds the threads into the loom with the least possible friction, is the most valuable to the trade.

The creel commonly in use is the old one first referred to in this specification, and upon inquiry the other construction seems to have been abandoned, if ever used. Especially in this old construction referred to-th e creel with the bobbins on diagonal lines from the face of the loom-too much space is occupied on the floor of the mill, the widest part of the creel being considerably wider than theface of the loom, the threads fed from the bobbins that are hung in the posts at the widest part of the creel passing into the lo'om at a very sharp angle.

About one-fourth of the space now occupied by creels commonly in use is saved in my improved construction. The bobbins are brought more compactly together. Each set of bobbins, except, of course, the first set or sets, is brought nearer to the face of the loom than in the old construction. The guide-posts being difixrectlyin front of the middle of each row or set of bobbins, the comparative distance of each guide-post in my invention to that of the old creel is nearer to the face of the loom. This is quite an important feature when the true purpose of these guide-posts is understood. These posts are for the purpose of preventing the.

threads as they leave the bobbins from Wabbling about and becoming tangled. It is desirable, therefore, that the threads bear against these posts for tension, so as to keepeach in its place apart, but at the same time little or no friction must be created, that-the threads unbroken may be delivered into the loom. All these results are attained in the use of my improved creel. In the first place my posts are so compactly arranged that there is an economy of space, the very widest part of my creel beingbut a trifle wider than the face of the loom, and the distance from the front of the creel to the rear end is much less than in the old construction. In this compact arrangement of posts the bobbins, when set, are all on parallel lines with the 100111. My arrangement of guide-posts is such that each guide-post, according to its relative position, is nearer the loom than the guide-posts in the old creels, and while these posts act as guides and give tension to the threads that bear against them ontheir way to the loom the friction is too slight to be harmful.

In the creels commonly in use the threads are constantly broken, as before stated, and these threads are broken because of the friction created by reason of their passing around the guide-posts at a sharp angle.

In practice, with my creel the threads, in being fed into the loom, never break because of friction. The bearing of the threads against the guide-posts as constructed in my creel serves only as the needed tension, and keeps the threads apart, as before stated.

Inthe construction of my improved creel I not only save the additional expense of separate posts for guides, but the posts used for that purpose accomplish their object in abetter and more lasting manner.

The separate guide-rods in'the old creel are attached at top and bottom to the horizontal beams, that hold thebobbin-posts in place, by means of screws, as the simplest and cheapest method; but owing to the considerable pressure brought to bear by the number of threads bearing against each rod as they are fed around the rods into the loom at a sharp angle, the screws become loosened, and the rods must be moved and new holes bored in the top and bottom beams. This is done several times in the course of a year. As a result these beams become worn with holes and must be removed, and the whole creel demolished for the purpose, whereas in my improved creel, on account of the manner in which the threads are fed into the loom, the pressure of the threads against the posts amounts practically to nothing, and on this account, and because of the particular arran gementof my posts,the changes are never necessary. The consequent results in the use of my creels are the greater productive power and the better quality of the article manufactured. My single creels, by reason of the saving of the breakage of thread, can feed a much greater amount of thread into a loom in a given time than the creel commonly in use having exactly the same number of bobbins, and on account of my compact arrangement of posts more of my creels can be placed in a given space than any of the creels commonly in use or heretofore known having the same capacity for bobbins. It is not only that more of my creels can be used in one mill and-each creel can accomplish better and greater results, but there is also economy in labor. The

hand whose time, aside from replenishing the bobbins as they become unwound of their contents, was greatly taken up in tying the constantly-breakin g threads is relieved of that duty to the greater care'of his or her other 00- cupation.

In my creel the outside posts of each set that act as guides for the threads may be beveled at the edges to allow the thread to pass with greater case, if desirable, as shown in.

Fig. 4.

The drawings represent a creel with two sets of posts in front; but this is a matter entirely of convenience, as a single set of posts, or more than two sets, may be made for the front of the creel, as desirable.

My creel may be used for coarse or fine weaving, the size to be proportioned accordin g to the work to be done. i

I am aware that creels have heretofore been constructed with bobbins set therein on a line parallel with the loom, and I disclaim any such Having thus fully set forth the nature and advantages of myinvention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 20 A creel having a series of bobbin-posts arranged in sets on parallel lines, the outer post of each set being arranged intermediate between the posts of the succeeding set and serving as thread-guides for the succeeding bob- 2 5 bins, whereby the thread is conducted to the loom in a direct line and undue friction avoided, substantially as described.

JA MES ONEILL.

Witnesses B. F. REX, PAUL BAKEWELL. 

